Accused shooter asked for police interview to be dismissed

Lawyers for a man accused of staging his wife’s death have asked that an interview conducted by police that lasted several hours not be shown to the jury. At a pretrial hearing on August 28, lawyers William Peters and Robert Buttner said police violated their client’s constitutional rights because, during the interview, the 72-year-old Robert Jufer was never read his Miranda Rights and was never told he was free to leave should he choose to do so.

Jufer was arrested in February for the death of his wife June, which occurred on October 17 in their home in Cherry Ridge Township. June was killed by a shotgun blast to her head. Robert told police that he had been attacked and rendered unconscious by an unknown assailant.

But during the interview, officers say Jufer gave contradictory information and there were inconsistencies in his story.

Additionally, a search of his home turned up more than 100 rifles, handguns and other weapons. Ultimately Jufer was arrested at his second home which was located in Hastings-on-Hudson, NY, and he was extradited back to Pennsylvania.

At the pretrial hearing, Wayne County District Attorney Janine Edwards asked the troopers who conducted the interview if Jufer had asked to leave, or asked to have the interview halted, and the men said “no.”

The two men also said they had not read Robert his Miranda Rights or explained that his testimony could be used against him.